A Rather Large Bump In The Road
by RJay23
Summary: Realizing all that she wants is found back where she came from, Haley must confront her fears in Tree Hill. After leaving the tour, her fears are exactly what she returns to. Who will face them with her, especially when she discovers some unexpected news?
1. Chapter 1

**I am in no way affiliated with One Tree Hill, The CW or Mark Schwahn. Nor do I own or claim any rights to these characters. I am merely playing with them before returning them to their rightful owner. No copy infringement intended. I also do not own Sheryl Crow or her song/lyrics for **_**I Shall Believe, **_**which has been used throughout this chapter.  
**

**This story takes place at the end of season 2. Haley has returned from the tour after only eight weeks, in time for her school finals and the end of junior year.**

**

* * *

**

**A Rather Large Bump In The Road**  
_Chapter 1 – Return to the Past and What is Left There_

_Open the door   
And show me your face tonight   
I know it's true  
No one heals me like you   
And you hold the key  
Never again   
Would I turn away from you   
I'm so heavy tonight  
But your love is alright  
And I do believe_

As she paid the cab driver and bid him a kind thank you for his assistance, Haley James Scott - or Haley James, she didn't really know who she was anymore – tentatively climbed the stairs of the Scott residence. Raising her hand to grasp the brass knocker that was bolted to the dark mahogany door, she hesitated and quickly drew her hand away before turning and walking down the stairs. Realizing that her attempts at prolonging the inevitable were not going to help her later on, she turned on her heel, hand poised to knock again; and this time she would not let herself be deterred. This had to be done; she owed him that much.

Before her dainty hand could even grip the brass ornament, the door swung open and she found herself face to face with the man who occupied her dreams, her heart, and was the source of her apprehensions. She was greeted with the face of the man who may or may not still be her husband. The handsome, chiseled face that she knew so well, stared at her but there was something different about him. She knew every crevice, every small feature of his strikingly gorgeous face but there was something different; his eyes. They no longer held the sparkle they used to, when he would gaze at her in a warm and loving way, making her heart melt. Now there was no trace of that sparkle, not even the slightest hint. Instead, his eyes were filled with something she could not clearly decipher. It was either pain, hurt or disappointment; probably all three, considering her actions.

His eyes; she had always loved his eyes. They could convey his emotions to her in an unbelievable way. He may have been able to put on a façade for everyone else, that cocky smirk that was ever-present on his face, but she would always be able to know what he was really feeling. She loved the fact that even before they started dating, he let her in past all the bluster and bullshit he gave everyone else and let her see the real him. It was one of the many reasons she fell in love with him; because he allowed himself to be open and honest with her, and in turn, subject himself to being vulnerable and fall in love with her. He had not trusted many people in his life, she knew that and she could understand why; who would completely trust another human being when he had grown up with a father like Dan Scott – a man who did not know the meaning of the word trust, only the gain manipulation could bring. On the day she married him, the day she stood on that beautiful beach and committed herself to him for all of eternity, she promised she would always protect him and that he could always trust her.

Even before they were married, it was an unspoken agreement that he could always trust her and it had made him feel safe in that knowledge that she would always be there for him; he had told her so himself in the first few months after their wedding. It had made her smile, loving the fact that he loved her enough to share his deepest thoughts with her and know that she would not make fun of, or ridicule his expressive words like so many people; one in particular, had done before her.

It had hurt her, more than she ever thought imaginable, when he had given her an ultimatum. _If you want to go, you should go but if you do, we're done. _All she wanted was her husband's support while she attempted to be somebody in the music industry. She had no feelings for Chris, as Nathan had assumed. How could she when her entire heart was swelling with love for Nathan? She also knew that working with Chris had made Nathan jealous, whether he would admit it or not, but in all reality, he had nothing to be jealous of. He was the one that she wanted, she had told him so the night of her "bridal shower" and many times after that. That fact had never changed.

Now, it filled her with great shame to know that she had betrayed him, destroyed the trust between them, for her second dream. She realized now that that was what music was, is – her second dream because Nathan is and always had been her first. It just took her a small amount of time away from him to realize that; realize how much she loved him, needed him and wanted him. She could only hope that she would have the chance, that he would give her the chance, to show him how sorry she was for leaving and how she wanted to be with him, forever.

"Hi" she finally spoke, her voice sounding low and not as confident as she had hoped.

She stood just staring at him, watching as an array of conflicting emotions flickered through his eyes before his face became blank. She would give anything for his face to show some sort of emotion, even if it was raging anger because at least then it would appear as though he were aware of the fact that she was standing in front of him. At least then his eyes would not seem hollow and empty, making her feel physically sick that she was the one who had caused it.

After many moments of silence, that felt like hours for the pair of young lovers, he finally spoke.

"Haley, what are you doing here?" Nathan asked, clearly surprised but trying to cover his astonishment; not letting her see his response to the fact that she was standing on his doorstep.

"I want to come home, Nathan" she replied softly, her beautiful brown wide and glassy. He used to spend hours just staring into those very same eyes, staring at them with love, kindness, lust and hope, and now he could not even keep his eyes on hers for more than a few seconds.

"Yeah… this is a really bad time. You need to go" he told her, his eyes darting around so he would not have to look into her eyes that he was certain were brimming with unshed tears.

"Oh… okay…right, um, I'll just go then" Haley whispered, willing herself not to cry as she turned and walked down the stairs, away from him.

"Haley!" he shouted, causing her to stop and turn around to face him with a hopeful smile across her face.

"Yeah?" she asked, hopeful that he would ask her to stay, or ask her to talk – anything except ask her to go.

"Where are you going to stay because there is no more apartment and I put all your stuff in storage so…?" he informed her, letting his statement hang in the air. He did not even know if he cared where she went. His pride was overruling his heart at the present moment, so she could crawl back to Chris Keller for all he cared. It didn't stop his fists from clenching at the thought of that slime ball spending time with his wife, though. It didn't mean he didn't care at all he was just too hurt to care at the moment. Under normal, rationally-thinking situations, of course he cared if his wife was hanging around with a jackass like Chris Keller. What sane husband wouldn't?

"Oh…well um…I honestly don't know. I'll see if I can stay with– "

**BANG!**

He had slammed the door in her face before she could even finish her sentence. "Luke" she finished quietly. She finally let the tears fall as she walked away for the final time and began the long walk to Lucas' house.

* * *

Lucas Scott turned in his bed, burying himself deeper into the soft pillows. It was only nine o'clock at night and quite unusual to find Lucas in bed already but he wasn't tired. He was worried; worried about Haley who, despite his pleadings, had not returned and he was beginning to doubt that she would anytime soon. That and the fact that he had kissed Brooke and basically expressed his undying love to her earlier today, with no response from her, was enough to make Lucas go crazy with anticipation.

He knew that he had picked an impeccable time to tell her that he wanted to be with her, just as she was leaving for California to finish the remainder of her school year there. He could only hope that through emails, texts and phone calls, he and Brooke would be able to discuss what he had revealed to her today and begin a relationship. A great relationship, totally different from their last one because that was what Lucas wanted; and he wanted Brooke. Not Peyton, the girl who he had just spent two hours with sitting on the beach. He loved Peyton, he really did, but he was in love with Brooke and nothing was going to stop them from being together this time - _Nothing. _Even with a great mantra like that, Lucas still could not stop tossing and turning. His actions and attempts at falling asleep were disturbed by a soft knocking at the side door. Climbing out of bed, he swung the door open and what he was greeted with nearly gave him a heart attack.

"Brooke?"

* * *

As Haley walked through the dimly lit streets of Tree Hill, she pulled her red sweater out of the duffel bag she had resting from her right shoulder. Even though it was spring, summer about to begin in about a month or so, it seemed colder than she would have thought it would be for this time of the year. She laid the sweater over her shoulders, protecting herself from the cold. She continued walking, only about fifteen minutes into her twenty-five minute walking journey to Luke's house.

Fifteen minutes later, after reaching Luke's house about five or six minutes ago, she smiled when she saw Brooke knocking on Lucas' side door, before going inside. It was about time those two got together, she could see that they both wanted to be together and even though neither of her friends had been upfront and told her, or each other for that matter, it was very obvious. What she wouldn't give for her feelings to be reciprocated by the man she loves. Brooke and Lucas were lucky to have found each other, again, but she couldn't be jealous because it was mostly her fault that she did not have that. Correction, it was all her fault. Why would Nathan want to be with her, little plain ole Haley 'tutor-nerd' James when he can have anyone he wants?

Haley took a seat on the wooden bench outside Luke's door on the porch and waited for him and Brooke to finish talking. The time was 9:46.

* * *

"Brooke?" Lucas questioned, clearly surprised to see her back in Tree Hill, and on his doorstep. Wait, why was she here? Wasn't she supposed to be halfway to California by now? He opened the door and let her into his room.

"Brooke, is everything all right? Why aren't you on your plane? Did something happen? Are you okay? Are you al–" he was cut off by her lips, connecting to his in a passionate kiss.

Dazed from Brooke's kiss, Lucas couldn't really think of much except the way her soft lips felt against his, how good her tongue felt grazing against his lower lip. However, there was one question that was unaffected by her kisses, and it wasn't going to fade from his mind until it was answered.

"What was that for?"

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you how I felt before I left, I just got scared, and let's face it; you did pick a pretty bad time to tell me that you want to be with me."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "I sense a 'but' coming on here…"

She nodded "But… I couldn't leave without saying that I want to be with you too. I took a later flight. It leaves at four in the morning so I was thinking I can stay there until then."

He smiled and moved his face closer to hers, once again claiming her lips which were now all his. He had his girl back, and Lucas Scott could not be happier.

* * *

About five or so hours later, at around three in the morning, Brooke and Lucas emerged from his room after calling a cab to take her to the airport. After brief goodbye, including Brooke telling Lucas that she is going to California to convince her parents to let her stay in Tree Hill, they had made their way to the porch outside his room. Claiming a few soft kisses from his love, Lucas bid her a final goodbye as she climbed into the cab. Turning around, he saw Haley curled up on the porch bench.

"Haley?" he smiled. This night was getting better and better; first Brooke kisses him and now Haley was here. However, his smile faded when he saw that she was shivering.

Running inside, he grabbed a blanket before rushing back outside to wrap his best friend in the soft cotton throw.

"Haley?" he whispered, trying to wake her up as his rubbed his hands up and down her arms, trying to warm her petite body and subside her shivering.

* * *

Blinking open her eyes, Haley wrapped the blanket closer to her before taking in her surroundings; Lucas hovering over her head, concern and worry evident in his pale blue eyes. She loved his pale blue eyes; they reminded her of Nathan's except that his were a more vibrant color. Thinking of Nathan made her want to cry, but she blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. This was Lucas, not her Nathan; but Nathan was no longer hers.

"Luke?" she questioned, her voice hoarse and scratchy from being subjected to the cold for so long; the sound of her voice surprised her as she was not expecting it to be so throaty. Therefore, she repeated his name, trying her hardest to remove the scratchiness from throat and speak clearly.

"Hey Hales, come inside okay? How long have you been sitting here?" he asked, helping her stand up before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and guiding her inside. She had not stopped shivering and he had no idea why; it wasn't that cold, it was only spring, nearly summer.

After escorting her inside and settling her under the covers on his bed, he sat beside her and waited for to begin talking.

"Since Brooke arrived. I saw her come in and I didn't want to interrupt because I figured you had a lot to talk about" she finally answered, her voice become harder to hear with each word.

"Jesus, Haley! That was almost six hours ago. You should have just come in. Look at you, you're freezing!" he scolded. Lucas was glad his best friend was home, hopefully for good, but judging by the way she still seemed cold, he could not help but be worried.

"I'll… b…be o…okay" she stuttered as sobs began to rack her petite body.

Lucas immediately took her in his arms, and she folded into his chest, her tears drenching his thin cotton shirt. He stroked her back, something he knew that calmed her after comforting her for so many years in her childhood. As he held her, he remembered all the other times they had sat like this; when they were young kids, only about five or six, and Taylor had ripped her doll's head off, or when her fifth grade crush had kissed someone else on the monkey bars and she had been devastated, or not too long ago when he had found her on the floor of the café, after the Scott's Annual Basketball Party. How that seemed only yesterday, when in reality, it was almost a year ago_, almost._ He could only think that so much had happened since then, good and bad, and as her breathing evened out, he knew she had fallen asleep.

Only then did he whisper "I'm glad you're back, buddy."

_That not everything is gonna be the way   
You think it ought to be   
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
__It all comes down on me   
Please say honestly   
You won't give up on me   
And I shall believe_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **A Rather Large Bump in the Road

**Author: **othnaleyfan101

**Summary: **After realizing all that she wants is found back where she came from, Haley faces the task of confronting her fears in Tree Hill. After leaving the tour, her fears are exactly what she returns to. But who will be there to face them with her, especially when she discovers some shocking news?

**Story Disclaimer: **I AM IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH ONE TREE HILL OR ANYTHING INVOLVED WITH/RELATING TO THE SHOW. I OWN NOTHING. THE ONLY THING THAT IS MINE IS THE STORY.

**Chapter Disclaimer: **I DO NOT OWN JACK'S MANNEQUIN OR THE LYRICS TO THE SONG 'KILL THE MESSENGER' THAT I HAVE USED THROUGHOUT THIS CHAPTER.

**Author's Note: **This is just a short-ish fic I put together a while ago. Having already written the first two chapters, I decided to finish it and post it. It will be maybe three or so chapters. I'm not sure at the moment. For those of you who read my other stories, I have not abandoned "The Best Intentions". I have hit a temporary roadblock, not writers block because I have fantastic ideas for this story and I am just having trouble finding the time to write them in the best possible way. I am really trying to get it out as soon as possible. I have about half of the next chapter written and I will work on it as soon as possible. However, I am thinking on rewriting the whole story, so I can make it better and your opinions would be appreciated.

**Timeline: **Takes place after/at-the-end-of season 2 when Haley turns up on the Scott House doorstep. She has come back from the tour after only eight weeks, meaning that she has come back in time for finals and the end of junior year. She was supposed to be on tour for twelve weeks (three months) and therefore has come back after two months. Junior year will be ending in about one month. There will be touches of Brucas, and Peyton will be in it too; unsure as to whether or not Peyton's storyline, aka Ellie being her mom, will be mentioned or included in this fic.

NALEY STORY AND FOCUSES ON HALEY, MAINLY.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

**Chapter 2: THE REPERCUSSIONS OF OUR ACTIONS**

Sunlight streamed through the windows of Lucas Scott's bedroom, causing Haley to stir in her best friend's arms. It was a comfort she had not enjoyed for many months, but feeling his strong arms tighten around her as she stirred, it was one she did not want to forget again. Silently lying next to him, his breathing quiet, Haley watched her brother-in-law, but firstly and more importantly her best friend, sleep. It made her feel just a little bit better knowing that Lucas still loved her, despite the mistakes she had made, even if Nathan didn't. Even if Peyton or Brooke, or Mouth or even Skills didn't welcome her back with open arms, at least Lucas' arms would still be tightly wrapped around her shoulders.

It was back to the way it was before Lucas joined the team; before she dated, and then married, Nathan, before the whole Chris fiasco and before she had left on tour. The tour - where she had wanted to realize her potential and live out a dream; only to realize the dream she wanted to live out, was back where she had begun. Life was funny like that sometimes, and as Haley sat musing the thought of how ironic it was that she only realized what she really wanted was when she no longer had it, _it_ hit her.

Nathan was right. _If you want to go, you should go but if you do, we're done. _It had finally hit her; and it had hit her full force. They were done. He had proved that last night, by showing her no kindness, even though she knew she didn't deserve it. They were no longer Nathan and Haley, no longer Haley and Nathan, no longer Naley. _They _were no more. Now there was only a Haley, and then there was a Nathan; and it was all her fault.

Feeling physically dirty knowing that her own selfish actions had ended her marriage, Haley carefully untangled herself from her best friend's embrace and made her way into the bathroom. Carefully bypassing Karen's bedroom, not wanting to disturb the kind woman whom Haley thought of as a second mom, she made her way into the bathroom and closed and locked the bedroom door behind her.

Turning on the hot water tap, subconsciously forgetting to also turn on the cold water tap, she shed herself of her jeans and white tank top before stepping into the boiling, scorching hot water. She did not even flinch as the water touched her soft skin, nor did she move away from the spray. If anything, she moved closer.

Haley James would never have harmed herself for she was kind and therefore knew no pain or heartache. But Haley James-Scott, it seemed, would; for that could be the only way to describe what she was doing to herself at that very moment. Standing under the boiling hot water as she scrubbed her skin so hard it almost bled, allowing the spray of liquid to burn her raw skin was self-punishment; even if she would not admit that was what she was doing.

As her soft skin finally broke and scarlet red blood poured from the wound of her left hand, near her ring finger to be precise, Haley fell to the floor in the shower. However, she did not cry; merely nursed her bleeding hand to her chest as the hot water continued to pour over her.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Nathan Scott rolled over onto the right side of the bed, subconsciously expecting to come into contact with the warm, soft body of his wife. However, just like the last two months, his expectations were wrong and instead his arm felt the material of the cool sheets. He had to learn that this was what his life was now. No more Haley beside him as he slept; just the cotton sheets and his illusion of her and their life together. Relishing in that illusion for a few more minutes, he allowed himself to believe that everything that had happened in the last two months were really a dream and he would open his eyes and Haley would be staring back at him, with sleepy eyes and a beautiful smile.

But as he opened his eyes, he yet again had to be reminded of the fact that his thoughts were just an illusion and this was his life now.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Sliding back the shower curtain and grabbing a towel, Haley wrapped the soft material around her emotionally and physically exhausted body and trudged over to the mirror. Her reflection was not something she wanted to see, but in order to move forward and be prepared to face her other fears, she had to face her first fear; being at peace with herself.

It had not been an easy task, but as she had sat on the bottom of the shower she had come to realize that; yes, she had left for the tour and yes, she could not take that back, no matter how much she wished she could. So for now, she had to forgive herself in order to focus on getting Nathan to forgive her. With her new found courage about the steps she must take, she finally raised her head to look at her reflection.

Tired and withdrawn eyes were what Haley was met with, along with smudged mascara and a gaunt face. She had lost weight while on tour; the pressures of performing and worrying about Nathan and her marriage having taken their toll on her already petite, small body. Bandaging her wounded hand, she grabbed her clothes from the bathroom floor before slipping back into her jeans and pulling the white tank top back over her head.

Creeping back down the hallway into Lucas' bedroom, Haley made her way over to his wardrobe. Rummaging around in the drawers as quietly as possible so as not to wake her sleeping friend, Haley began softly humming.

_Oh my god, this hurts like hell  
I had that dream again where  
I was lost for good in outer space  
Tell me, doctor, how to shake  
A waking nightmare that is only  
Worse when I am sleeping_

Finding what she was looking for, Haley grabbed Lucas' '_Keith Scott Body Shop' _hoodie and pulled it over head, covering her thin tank top, while the lyrics she had just been singing continued to swirl through her mind. How she wished that this was only a dream and when she woke up, she would be in her husband's arms and everything would be okay.

_Kill the messenger  
I swear it's not me_

_It's just someone I used to know  
And get to church cause you're a good girl  
And I never told you that  
And all I need from you  
Could be the thing that  
Leaves us both up here forever  
I'm gonna send a little rain your way_

But she knew that it was not a dream and everything was not okay; no matter how hard she wished it was. Walking over to the still sleeping Lucas, she brushed the hair away from his forehead before planting a soft, friendly kiss there.

"Thank you"

She picked up her bag and then she was gone.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

"Yes, I understand that the apartment is no longer in my name." _Whatever my name may be at the moment. _

"Yes, I also understand that it is no longer being vacated by myself or my husband." _Trust me, I know. _

"Yes, I understand all of that. I just need to see it, make sure none of my belongings have been left behind." _The only thing left there is my entire life. _

"Yes, I'm only asking for a few minutes. Thank you."

After finishing up her call with her former landlord, pleading with him to let her have just a few minutes in the apartment, Haley slid into her new car. Correction - the car she had just acquired this morning, since it could not be called new and it had been hers only a few months ago. Between the small amount of money she had earned while touring and the money her parents had deposited in her account for some unknown reason, she had been able to afford the beat up old Honda she and Nathan had owned only mere months ago, before he had sold it. Now, he drove around in a Mustang just like he had prior to his emancipation and she made it around in a car that was just deemed 'roadworthy', but for now, it would have to do.

Pulling up to the apartment complex that was her former home, she trudged up the stairs. Unlocking the door with the key she had obtained from the landlord, who happened to live a few apartment doors down, a small gasp emitted from her lips. There in front of her, was her; the portrait Peyton had painted as part of a wedding gift that doubled as a decoration at her wedding reception. Except now, it was covered in ghastly pink paint.

"Oh Nathan" she whispered, barely even hearing her own voice. It was as if his pain could be felt, was only being contained by the four walls of the room. It was making her physically sick; putting pressure on her lungs and making it hard to breathe.

Knowing she had to get out of the apartment before she burst into tears, yet again, Haley walked towards the painting and took it of the wall. Tucking it under her arm, she walked out of the door and closed it behind her, finally feeling as though she could breathe.

_It's not so easy, caving in  
I walked by your apartment twice today  
Well you were gone at work  
And all the colors got so dull  
It's not as cold out here  
But come quickly, I am losing feeling_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **A Rather Large Bump in the Road

**Author: **othnaleyfan101

**Summary: **After realizing all that she wants is found back where she came from, Haley faces the task of confronting her fears in Tree Hill. After leaving the tour, her fears are exactly what she returns to. But who will be there to face them with her, especially when she discovers some shocking news?

**Story Disclaimer: **I AM IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH ONE TREE HILL OR ANYTHING INVOLVED WITH/RELATING TO THE SHOW. I OWN NOTHING. THE ONLY THING THAT IS MINE IS THE STORY.

**Chapter Disclaimer: **I DO NOT OWN JIMMY EAT WORLD or MARJORIE FAIR. I ALSO DO NOT OWN THE LYRICS TO THE SONGS 'PAIN' or 'EMPTY ROOM' THAT I HAVE USED THROUGHOUT THIS CHAPTER.

**Story Author's Note: **This is just a short-ish fic I put together a while ago. Having already written the first two chapters, I decided to finish it and post it. It will be maybe three or so chapters. I'm not sure at the moment. For those of you who read my other stories, I have not abandoned "The Best Intentions". I have hit a temporary roadblock, not writers block because I have fantastic ideas for this story and I am just having trouble finding the time to write them in the best possible way. I am really trying to get it out as soon as possible. I have about half of the next chapter written and I will work on it as soon as possible. However, I am thinking on rewriting the whole story, so I can make it better and your opinions would be appreciated.

**Timeline: **Takes place after/at-the-end-of season 2 when Haley turns up on the Scott House doorstep. She has come back from the tour after only eight weeks, meaning that she has come back in time for finals and the end of junior year. She was supposed to be on tour for twelve weeks (three months) and therefore has come back after two months. Junior year will be ending in about one month. There will be touches of Brucas, and Peyton will be in it too; unsure as to whether or not Peyton's storyline, aka Ellie being her mom, will be mentioned or included in this fic.

NALEY STORY AND FOCUSES ON HALEY, MAINLY.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

**Chapter 3: THE HEARTACHE YOU FEEL IS YOUR OWN FAULT**

**Author's Note:**_ So like I said before, I had already written the first two chapters of this story. I will be finishing a chapter before I post the previous one, that way I am always ahead and can post maybe a chapter every few days. For those of you have read the first two chapters, thank you and I hope you enjoyed them. Thank you if you actually took the time to review. I appreciate all of your comments. They make my writing better. By knowing I have an audience that likes what I write, it makes me realize that I can constantly improve; so constructive criticism is welcome. Remember; reviews only take a small amount of time to write and you can make someone's day so much better by just saying a few words_.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

"Haley?" Come on, Haley!" Lucas whined, reminding Haley of her three-year old nephew, Dawson. She had last seen him about three months prior when the tour had stopped in Atlanta; where her older sister Quinn lived with her husband and son. Right now, though, all Haley could think was how alike Lucas and Dawson sounded.

"Lucas, if you do not stop poking me like some monkey in a cage, you will have extreme difficulty reproducing children with Brooke in the future!" she snapped from her place under Lucas' bedcovers. She had spent the last two and a half weeks at the Roe residence, much to the pleasure of Karen and Lucas. She had gone back to Tree Hill High School yesterday and that was the reason Lucas was currently trying to get her out of his bed and into the bathroom. At this rate, they would be late for school but Haley didn't really care; after what had happened yesterday, she didn't really care if she went back again. Stares and whispers were sent her way whenever she walked into a room and it seemed as though every piece of gossip involved her in the centre of a malicious rumor. It had been a nightmare. Nathan had ignored her, Brooke wasn't there due to being in California for the remainder of the school year and Peyton was off brooding somewhere. Lucas had been her sole companion and even he had become sick of the staring and it wasn't even directed at him.

"Look Hales, I know you had a crappy day yesterday-" he began only to be cut off with a muffled voice.

"Ya think?"

"But you just have to keep going, stick it out and show everyone that you are better than some stupid rumors" he finished, pretending as though she hadn't interrupted him mid sentence.

"I hate you Lucas" was her reply, even though she pushed back the covers and sat up.

"Love you too! Now get that scrawny but of yours out of bed and into that shower. We leave in fifteen minutes and the Haley James Scott I know would never be late to school!"

She grumbled all the way to the shower, scowling at Lucas' retreating back as he walked out the kitchen repeating one of the rumors that had been created about her, in a ridiculously high-pitched voice.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

"Just ignore them Hales" Lucas spoke softly, swinging a supportive arm around her shoulder as they walked onto the Tree Hill High School campus. Girls were huddled around tables in the quad, their whispering becoming louder as Haley and Lucas walked near their table. Sniggering followed them once they had passed. Since Haley had been absent from school for more than two months, the Principal had forced her to re-enroll and that meant that she had been assigned a new locker. Due to her name change since the beginning of junior year, Haley's locker was now located two down from Lucas' locker. But that meant that Nathan was being in between them, due to lockers being assigned alphabetically. Someone had messed up with the lockers though, because anyone could tell that 'N' came after 'L' not before it. She had not seen Nathan yesterday, as she had been held back in the administration office filling out forms and receiving speeches from the Principal about punctuality, attendance and lots of other things that she already knew about, considering she had been given the same speech her first day of freshman year.

Now, walking towards her locker on her second day back, she was filled with a sense of dread when she saw Nathan at his locker. Lucas had gone to speak to Whitey about something basketball related and could not act as a buffer if something went wrong. She walked closer and his broad back was facing her; she was unable to see his face. Timidly walking up to him, she tried to access her locker without disrupting him, but he was half leaning on her locker which made the task practically.

"Excuse me" she spoke softly, as if her lack of voice would keep his anger of seeing her, at bay. He turned around, a look of surprise on his face which quickly turned to panic. That confused her but as she looked over his shoulder, his panicked expression became clear. There, standing next to, or technically on top of Nathan was Rachel. Haley felt her heart slowly break as she realized their compromising position but tried to hide her emotions. He stepped away to allow her access to her locker and she quickly opened it, practically throwing her head behind the blue metal door in an attempt to cover her face, which she was sure had tears streaming down them. They really were over, he had obviously moved on.

_I never thought I'd walk away from you.  
I did.  
But it's a false sense of accomplishment.  
Every time I quit_

"Haley… I-"

She grabbed her books and took a deep breath before giving him a fake, shaky smile in response to him calling her name. He merely turned and walked away without completing his sentence, Rachel only two steps behind him. She watched him retreating, her heart breaking even more as Rachel sent her a smug smirk.

"It's not like you don't deserve it" came a voice from behind her, causing Haley to turn around.

"Hi Peyton" she spoke softly, realizing that Peyton was obviously upset with her and not exactly going to be happy about her return to Tree Hill.

"Hi Peyton" she mocked in a high pitched voice, making Haley's expression turn into one of hurt.

"You are a bitch Haley, thinking that you can just come back here and pretend as though everything is okay…" Peyton snapped at her.

"I never pretended" Haley tried to defend herself.

"Of course you didn't because you are perfect little Haley 'do-no-wrong' James. Just go back where you came from Haley, because no one wants you here!" she screamed, attracting the attention of the entire student body that was in the hallway.

Haley's mouth dropped open in shock; she would never have expected an outburst from Peyton. She was so broody and secretive; not one to seek confrontation, especially confrontation that would cause a scene. Apparently not anymore; Peyton was looking like she was about to breathe fire. It made Haley slightly confused; she knew that Peyton and Nathan had dated, but she didn't realize that she was this protective of him. Unless, - something had happened between the two of them when she was on tour. But Peyton had been her friend and Nathan **was** her husband; surely they wouldn't have betrayed her like that even though she wasn't there.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a large slapping noise. Only when her head connected with her open locker door, did she realize that the large slapping noise was Peyton's forceful hand connecting with Haley's cheek. A searing pain on the left side of her forehead caused her to drop to her knees, her left hand flying up to cover the place on her head that had contacted the cool blue metal door. As she watched Peyton walk away, her vision on the left side of her head became slightly fuzzy and as her hand moved from the top of her forehead to rub her eyes, was she aware that the rich red liquid pouring from her forehead was what was causing her eyesight to become strange.

Haley could merely sit on the floor, in the middle of the hallway, clutching her head as the bell rang and everyone moved off to class

_Anyone can see my every flaw.  
It isn't hard.  
Anyone can say they're above this all.  
It takes my pain away._

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Looking into the glass mirror in the girls bathroom, Haley could see that her head now had a large gash on it and the blood had not stopped gushing from it. She gagged, never having been a fan of blood. It had stained her pale blue sweater, one she had made sure to wear because the sleeves were long and it covered her bandages on her left hand. She wanted to make sure nobody asked questions; Lucas especially. However, she knew that she wouldn't be able to keep this injury a secret from his as well; Peyton could slap and the force at which Haley had hit the locker ensured that the cut was deep and going to need stitches. Maneuvering herself closer to the mirror so she could inspect the wound more intently, Haley once again gagged at the sight of the blood. Before she knew it, Haley was running into the toilet stall behind her, emptying her breakfast of Cap'n Crunch that Lucas had practically forced down her throat when she had said she wasn't hungry.

About five minutes later, Haley walked out of the stall and grabbed a paper towel, wiping her mouth before grabbing more and applying pressure to her head. She walked out of the bathroom. Walking throughout the hallways, she let the silence engulf her. It was an unusual sound for her. Growing up with three sisters and two brothers, Haley had never known the meaning of silence. Then when she had married Nathan and started living with him, there was always some form of noise in the background. Whether it be the bounce of a basketball or the background noise of a videogame combined with the clicks of the controllers. There was always something but once she moved out into her own apartment, because she couldn't stay with Karen and Lucas forever, silence would be all she would be greeted with when she walked in the door. Silence was all she would hear.

Making her way into the gym, she headed for the double doors at the back that lead to the boys locker room. She made her way to Whitey's office before knocking on the door.

"Come in" came Whitey's gruff voice in response to the knock on his office door.

"Hi Coach" she walked in and stood just inside the room, staring at her shuffling feet with the wad of paper towels still clutched to her head.

"Jesus Christ, Scott! What happened?" he barked when he looked up at her and saw her injured forehead.

"Killer cheerleaders; at least you know they have spirit when it comes to supporting the basketball team" she tried to laugh but only grimaced as it intensified the pain of her oncoming headache.

Whitey did not laugh. Instead he got up from his desk and grasped her hand, pulling her to sit in his chair. He rested on the desk and grabbed her chin so that she would look at him. He reached behind him on the desk for the first aid kit and began cleaning her cut with disinfectant. They sat in silence as he tended to her wound, before bandaging it and disposing of the cotton wipes he had used.

"You are going to have to go the hospital and get stitches on that. Now, what happened?" he asked gently.

"I messed up, Coach. I thought that going on tour was what I wanted. I thought I wanted to be a singer, experience it all. But all I wanted was here, in Tree Hill. All I wanted was Nathan and now I can't have him because he hates me, he has moved on and I don't blame him. It's all my fault; I ruined everything. And now … I just don't know what to do. I saw him today, standing by his locker with this new Rachel girl and it hurt. It really hurt. I mean, I couldn't do that. I just love him so much and after everything that is happened, I think I love him even more if that's possible. So, I really don't know how he could do this if he even loved me at all. It's just… all my… fault" she choked out the last sentence before bursting into tears. She didn't care that crying was making her headache worse. It felt good to feel physical pain, just like in the shower that morning.

"Oh darlin'" he fussed, drawing her into a hug. They stayed that way for a few minutes, him rocking her and shushing her sobs. It felt good to have someone support her, he reminded Haley of her grandfather. He had always said that 'a grandfather's hugs can stop tears and a grandmother's biscuit can fix a broken heart'. Hugging Whitey while she told him about her grandfather's saying, she smiled when she felt his chest rumble with a chuckle. He moved away from her, going towards his filing cabinet and as she watched, he came back with something in foil wrapping. Arching an eyebrow curiously, she smiled as he pulled back the foil to uncover chocolate.

"Don't think I didn't notice that you have lost weight" he spoke, concern evident in his voice. He broke a piece off for her and wiped a stray tear with his other hand. He nodded his head towards the door and they walked towards it together. As they strolled through the locker area, the bell rang and it made Haley jump. He chuckled as she smiled bashfully. He led her out into the gym and as the doors swung open, he hugged her. He whispered to "take care of herself and go to a hospital to get that pretty little head of hers checked out". She nodded against his shoulder and whispered two words that held more significance than they normally did.

"Thank you"

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Haley moved out of Whitey's hug. She turned around ready to walk out of the gym unnoticed when she heard two familiar voices. Haley stopped right in front of the group of basketball boys, looking at them, but two in particular who were standing next to each other. They were joking around, like brothers should, and they hadn't even noticed her yet. That was until Tim nudged Nathan in the arm. He turned his head to yell at Tim but his eye caught Haley. Stopping mid sentence in order to see what had caused his brother to stop their conversation, Lucas' eyes too landed on Haley, then on her forehead. He saw her look between the two Scott boys and give a sad, yet proud, smile. He leapt forward to talk to her, make sure she was alright, but she just shook her head and walked past them with a distant, defeated look in her eyes. He started to walk away when Whitey called them for practice but Nathan remained where he was. He had never seen that look in her eyes. It was like she had been beaten, but by what? It was almost as if she were…

"She's gone, man" Lucas said softly, not wanting to disrupt Nathan's trance.

"I know" he replied, Lucas having finished his thought without knowing it.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Haley flinched as a nurse sutured her forehead. After leaving the gym, she had gone straight to her car and driven to the hospital. Heeding to Whitey's advice, she knew she needed to get her head stitched before it became it infected. She flinched again as the nurse threaded the final stitch.

"There you go all done… now I need to take a blood sample" the kind old woman smiled at Haley.

"Uh… why… I thought that I just needed to get my head stitched" she asked, extremely confused. She had never liked needles or blood; they scared her, almost as much as clowns and that was saying something.

"It's just a routine test, don't worry" she smiled again, before reaching over and grabbing a needle from her equipment tray. She found the vein and inserted the needle into Haley's arm, before drawing enough blood and then placing a band-aid over the injection point.

"There you go… all set. You can go home now and if the doctor finds anything in the blood test, he will call you back within twenty-four hours. Have a nice day Ms. James Scott!" the nurse said as she labeled the blood tube and then walked out of the examination room door.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

The next day, Haley sat on the docks, sipping from a cup of water. She hadn't been feeling well since yesterday, when she threw up in the girls bathroom at school and therefore had not attended school today. Her headache had gone, thanks to her trusty friend Aspirin and her head seemed to be healing well. She stood up as she heard her phone ring and reached into the pocket of her jeans.

"Hello?" she spoke into her cell phone.

"Hello. This is Dr. Stevens from Tree Hill Memorial Hospital. May I speak with a Ms. James-Scott please?" said a masculine, yet kind, voice from the other end of the line.

"Speaking…" she answered, slightly confused.

"Hi Haley, I was just wondering if you needed to come down to the hospital in order to renew your prescription?" he asked.

"Excuse me? My prescription for what?" she asked, now utterly and completely confused.

"Well, when I looked at you blood results, I assumed you must not have renewed your prescription for your pre-natal vitamins" the doctor informed her, also confused.

Haley choked on the water she had just taken a sip of. Pre-natal vitamins? Like, natal as is in baby-natal? But that meant… oh god…

"I'm guessing by your reaction, you didn't know" he said, coming to the conclusion that she had not known. "You are a little over four months pregnant, Haley. Come down to the hospital soon and we can discuss your pregnancy. Congratulations" he said, before hanging up the phone.

Haley merely stared at her cell, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

_This doesn't matter like it did before  
This doesn't matter much anymore  
This doesn't matter like it did before  
This doesn't matter much anymore_

_**Daylight is not the same**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **A Rather Large Bump in the Road

**Author: **othnaleyfan101

**Summary: **After realizing all that she wants is found back where she came from, Haley faces the task of confronting her fears in Tree Hill. After leaving the tour, her fears are exactly what she returns to. But who will be there to face them with her, especially when she discovers some shocking news?

**Story Disclaimer: **I AM IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH ONE TREE HILL OR ANYTHING INVOLVED WITH/RELATING TO THE SHOW. I OWN NOTHING. THE ONLY THING THAT IS MINE IS THE STORY.

**Story Author's Note: **This is just a short-ish fic I put together a while ago. Having already written the first two chapters, I decided to finish it and post it. It will be maybe three or so chapters. I'm not sure at the moment. For those of you who read my other stories, I have not abandoned "The Best Intentions". I have hit a temporary roadblock, not writers block because I have fantastic ideas for this story and I am just having trouble finding the time to write them in the best possible way. I am really trying to get it out as soon as possible. I have about half of the next chapter written and I will work on it as soon as possible. However, I am thinking on rewriting the whole story, so I can make it better and your opinions would be appreciated.

**Timeline: **Takes place after/at-the-end-of season 2 when Haley turns up on the Scott House doorstep. She has come back from the tour after only eight weeks, meaning that she has come back in time for finals and the end of junior year. She was supposed to be on tour for twelve weeks (three months) and therefore has come back after two months. Junior year will be ending in about one month. There will be touches of Brucas, and Peyton will be in it too; unsure as to whether or not Peyton's storyline, aka Ellie being her mom, will be mentioned or included in this fic.

NALEY STORY AND FOCUSES ON HALEY, MAINLY.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

**Chapter 4: Separating Yourself From The World **

**Author's Note **_Thank you if you actually took the time to review. I appreciate all of your comments. They make my writing better. Remember; reviews only take a small amount of time to write and you can make someone's day so much better by just saying a few words. Flashbacks are in italics. _

_Thanks to _othfan102, locurabella, luvinbbyjames23, katieyellow, kayda94, saderia, naley19, HJS-NS-23, Naleychick23, vampiregurl, lilmonkeygirl31, luvnaley23, gottaluvnaley, patto85, firefightersgal and Sakura-ChanChan for the reviews.

**GottaluvNaley, HJS-NS-23 and 'Desiree'** – thanks for letting me know about chapter 2 and 3 being the same. Something must have happened when I posted chapter 3. It seemed as though both chapter 2 and 3 changed to chapter 3 and chapter 1 was deleted and replaced with chapter 2. So I fixed it as soon as I read your review and I hope it is working.

**NOW CHAPTER 1, 2 AND 3 ARE ALL POSTED, CORRECTLY SO YOU CAN NOW READ THEM IF YOU WERENT ABLE TO BEFORE.**

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

A week later, Haley inserted the rusted key into the even rustier lock of the apartment door. Pushing open the door, the portrait tucked safely under her arm, she dropped the keys as her hand flew to her nose. The smell of the apartment was terrible; a combination of not being opened for a few months and something dead that was like… well, that was something she didn't want to think about.

Placing the painting on the ground, Haley rummaged through her messenger bag, smiling triumphantly when she found her deodorant can. Walking through the apartment, hesitantly opening doors, she sprayed her fresh, sweet smelling fragrance all throughout the apartment in an attempt to get rid of, or at least cover, the awful smell. _Well, I better get used to it. This is where I live now. _She walked back into the living area and hung the portrait on the wall, the pink paint stains bringing some color to the dull apartment. She stared at it, her mind buzzing with thoughts but her expression remained blank. Ever since those two fateful days during the middle of last week, Haley's life had changed and not entirely for the better.

_- "Excuse me" she spoke softly, as if her lack of voice would keep his anger of seeing her, at bay. He turned around, a look of surprise on his face which quickly turned to panic. That confused her but as she looked over his shoulder, his panicked expression became clear. There, standing next to, or technically on top of Nathan was Rachel._

_- "You are a bitch Haley, thinking that you can just come back here and pretend as though everything is okay…" Peyton snapped at her_

_Only when her head connected with her open locker door, did she realize that the large slapping noise was Peyton's forceful hand connecting with Haley's cheek. A searing pain on the left side of her forehead caused her to drop to her knees, her left hand flying up to cover the place on her head that had contacted the cool blue metal door. As she watched Peyton walk away, her vision on the left side of her head became slightly fuzzy and as her hand moved from the top of her forehead to rub her eyes, was she aware that the rich red liquid pouring from her forehead was what was causing her eyesight to become strange. _

- _"Well, when I looked at you blood results, I assumed you must not have renewed your prescription for your pre-natal vitamins" the doctor informed her, also confused. _

"_I'm guessing by your reaction, you didn't know" he said, coming to the conclusion that she had not known. "You are a little over three months pregnant, Haley. Come down to the hospital soon and we can discuss your pregnancy. Congratulations" he said, before hanging up the phone._

It had been a week of revelations, to say the least. Going from high-school dropout to almost ex-wife to almost ex-wife having her almost ex-husband's baby was a lot to digest and comprehend, even for someone as smart as Haley. Ever since finding out that she was going to be a mom, Haley had made some drastic changes. Ever since coming back from the tour, Haley had been living with Lucas and Karen. This morning when Lucas had been at an early basketball training session and Karen had been at the café, she had packed her bags and left. She had sorted out the details for this apartment throughout the week. Even though it was pretty terrible, it was all she was able to afford. That morning, she had gone by the café had quit her job, much to Karen's astonishment. Now she had to focus on her baby, and that meant separating herself from everything and everyone who was a part of her old life. She had to make her own life, a new life, away from Nathan and Lucas. Away from Peyton and the stability she had felt living and working with Karen, who was her second mom. She had to be strong for her baby and in order to do that, she had to be strong for herself.

Walking into the "bedroom" area of the apartment, she saw a rusted antique looking bed and a dresser. She pulled a set of cotton sheets from her shoulder bag, and spread them over the double bed. Crawling into the bed, she curled up and fell asleep.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

As Haley awoke the next morning she noticed that in one corner of the bedroom was a mirror, the long reflective glass reaching the floor, embedded in a rusted brass frame. She pulled back the sheets on the bed, placed the yellow teddy bear she had bought yesterday for the baby onto the pillow and climbed out, padding over to the mirror. She pulled up her tee-shirt and stood, watching her reflection.

She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before. She hadn't had her period in over three months but between the tour, coming home to find out that Nathan wasn't going to welcome her home with open arms and Nathan and Rachel being all 'together', she could understand not having noticed. Now she was having a baby, her soon to be ex-husband's baby and he didn't even know. And he wouldn't anytime soon. School was almost over; by the end of the school year, she would be four and a half months pregnant. She could hide it from everyone until then and when summer came, she could disappear from their lives forever; just like she had already started to do. It would be hard to say goodbye, she knew that, but she had to do it. Haley had already figured most of it out. She had found another job at a café on the other side of town, the 'bad' side, so no one would ever find her because no one goes there. She had gotten the apartment, also on the other side of town.

Now, as she stood here in front of the mirror, she could notice the beginning effects of her pregnancy. It seemed as though ever since she found out, she had noticed things changing; her stomach had become slightly rounded and her breasts were more sensitive. She had not really paid much attention to herself, so she could understand not noticing the slight change in her stomach until she was told; it was only a tiny, miniscule bump but she could notice. She could only smile as she rubbed her hand along her stomach, but her smile faded dramatically when she looked over her shoulder and noticed no one was standing beside her. She would have given anything to have Nathan standing beside her, but it wasn't going to happen, so she had to be strong.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Four days later, Lucas stood at the end of the hallway talking to Mouth and Skills about the latest basketball game stats, when he saw Nathan come into view.

"Hey Nathan" Lucas called out, catching up with his brother in the hallway.

"Hey, what's up man?" he answered, his head now buried in his locker.

"Look, I know you said that you didn't want to talk about it, but have you seen Haley lately?" he asked, concern and worry etched upon his face.

"Lucas I –" Nathan began, really not wanting to talk about it.

"I know that you don't want to talk about it, I know, but I'm really worried. She hasn't been at school in the last three days. And I mean, you know Haley, that isn't her."

"I know that she hasn't been here, Luke. But what can I do, I mean –" he paused when the door at the end of the hallway slammed shut and the topic of their conversation walked into the school. They watched as she walked closer and closer to them, her head kept down, not even flinching or moving as numerous people barged into her. It was as if she was oblivious to the rest of the world. Head still down, she approached her locker that the two boys were standing beside.

"Hey Haley, where have you been?" Lucas asked softly, not wanting to startle her but his actions were in vain because her hand snapped up and her eyes widened. Both Scott boys watched as her eyes darted between them. She quickly threw her hands into her locker and rummaged around, her eyes now cast downwards. She grabbed the books before slamming the locker shut and walking away from them without so much as a single word. She began to walk down the hallway to her first class, but stopped mid step and turned around. She raised her head and looked at them again, as they watched her every move. She tilted her head slightly to the side, as if she were analyzing something, before giving them an empty, emotionless glance and turning on her heel and walking away.

Nathan and Lucas just looked at each other, completely dumbfounded about what had just taken place and what had happened to her stitched up forehead; both also wondering why she looked deathly pale.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Two weeks later, on the last day of the school year, Haley walked into her first class, which she just happened to share with Nathan, Lucas and Peyton. They all sat together in a row of desks. She just stalked past them with her hair hanging down the side of her face, shielding her from view. She took her seat in the back row beside some stoner guy and the captain of the football team. Both Lucas and Nathan turned in their seats to try and get her attention but she kept her gaze downwards, refusing to look up.

She looked up as the teacher walked into the classroom, but began looking around at her peers when the teacher made a direct beeline for her. She became nervous and paranoid as the teacher became closer and closer and closer. Her breathing became heavy and rough and before she knew it, she had worked herself into a state. She was always becoming paranoid lately. She had tried to avoid everyone and tried to slink into the shadows – become unnoticed. For the most part it had worked. It had become noticeable that she was pregnant, her tummy having developed a slightly larger bump, so she had been wearing flowy tops that would cover her stomach. She was no longer having morning sickness as she had been during the first few weeks before and after she found out about the baby. Soon, school would be over and she would be out of there for three months. When she returned, if she returned to this school or school at all, she would be at least eight months pregnant but she was praying that she wouldn't be that big. She was petite, so maybe it would go unnoticed; just maybe. If not, she would drop out. It was the only option. But for the moment, as the teacher approached her, she was paranoid; paranoid that someone had found out. Her eyes continued to dart around, hoping that her teacher was heading for someone else and not her.

"Haley James?" the teacher stopped directly in front of her desk and Haley slowly looked up as her name was called.

"Yes?" she asked timidly and quietly.

"Coach Durham would like to see you in his office."

She smiled slightly before getting out of her chair and taking her hall pass from the teacher's outstretched hand. She walked down the walkway between the desks, passing directly between Nathan and Lucas as they watched her walk away.

Nathan continued to look at the door, even after Haley had gone through it. All he wondered as he stared there were two things; why would Whitey call for Haley and why didn't she correct the teacher when she had said 'Haley James'. She always used to and it made him so proud that she carried his name. It had pissed her off that some teachers refused to call her 'Haley James Scott', so most of the time, she would not respond when they didn't call her by it. It had always made him smile. Now that she didn't even bother to correct them, or didn't even want to correct them, it made him slightly disappointed. So what if they were separated for the moment, she was still Haley James Scott and he was proud of it. She should be too but obviously she wasn't.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

As Haley knocked on the door of Whitey's office, the old man put out his cigar and attempted to waft the smoke away.

"Hi Whitey" she smiled at him before taking a seat opposite his desk.

"Well hello Mrs. Scott" he responded with his own smile.

"It's Miss James now, Coach" she told him, showing him her bare ring finger. She had taken it off that morning. After looking in the mirror at her stomach, which had become tradition for her to do everyday when she woke up, she realized that it wasn't fair to her child for her to live in the past. Nathan had moved on, even if she hadn't seen him and Rachel together since the day when Peyton went off at her and slapped her, she had to come to terms with the fact that her marriage was over and it was time for her to accept that.

"Now, why would you think that I, or anyone else, would call you 'Miss James' when your name is 'Mrs. Scott', Haley" he told her gruffly, disappointed to see that she had given up on being with Nathan. He had never seen two people so in love before, they reminded Whitey of him and his wife, Camilla. He didn't know anyone else who were meant to together more than Nathan and Haley.

"Circumstances change, Coach" she responded vaguely.

"What circumstances would cause you to give up on your marriage, Haley?" he asked.

"I, I'm –" she began but couldn't finish as she began to tear up.

"Now Haley, what's wrong Honey?" he asked softly as he got out of his chair and came to put a comforting hand of her shoulder. She flew out of her chair and into the old man's arms as she blurted out what she had been trying to tell him before.

"Whitey, I'm pregnant!"

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Nathan walked towards Whitey's office. The rest of the basketball team was changing into their practice uniforms but he needed to speak with his coach about his late acceptance into High Flyers. He had been so happy when he reapplied and they accepted him. It had been his dream, even as a young child, to go to the prestigious basketball camp but he knew he was making the right decision when he turned them down in order to stay with Haley over the summer. But now when things changed, and circumstances happened that he didn't expect to, he reapplied and had been accepted. He would be leaving the next day for Florida. He was making his dreams come true.

He knocked on the wooden frame before pushing the door open. He stilled when he saw his Coach practically helping his estranged wife stand, leading her to the couch in his office. Nathan watched as Haley lay down on the blue suede sofa and curled up into a fetal position. He could see that she was barely keeping her eyes open and tear tracks marred her beautiful face. He just stood there, not moving, not speaking, just transfixed but he became confused when his Coach turned to him with a blank face asking him why he was here. He was acting as if Nathan hadn't been standing there for the last few minutes, when Nathan was sure that Whitey knew he had been standing there.

"Ah… I just came to say goodbye. I leave for High Flyers tomorrow."

Whitey merely nodded, then focused his attention back on Haley when she shifted on the couch. After a few minutes of silence, in which both men stood watching the sleeping girl, Whitey spoke.

"Did you drive to school today, Nathan?" the older man asked, completely bewildering the younger boy. His expression clearly showed his confusion.

"Um… no, I got a ride with Lucas. Coach, why are you asking me?"

"Can you help me get Haley home?"

"Oh… Coach, I don't think so" Nathan responded, very weary of the situation he was being asked to get into.

"I know she made mistakes, she knows it too, but I am sure that you also have made plenty! She is still your wife, dammit, and that means something so I don't care if you have _issues _Nathan, you will get your scrawny ass over here and help me!" Whitey commanded gruffly. Not being needed to be told twice Nathan walked over to the couch and gathered Haley in his arms. She stirred slightly and mumbled something incoherent due to the interruption of her much needed sleep before burying her head into Nathan's shirt as her arms automatically wound around his neck. He followed Whitey out of his office and stood back, Haley still in his arms, as Whitey told the basketball team to continue practicing while he attended to an important matter. Nathan ignored the confused look he received from Lucas and instead choose to stare at the opposite end of the gym. He began to walk, following Whitey through the gym doors and into the car park. He remained walking a few steps behind Whitey as the older man looked for Haley's car. After several minutes, that had yet to spot her car. He looked over to Haley and saw Nathan brushing a tendril of hair behind her ear.

"What happened to her forehead, Whitey? I saw it about a week or so ago with stitches but she hasn't spoken to me so I don't know what happened. She won't speak to anyone except you. What happened to her?" Nathan asked. He saw the distinct outline of her still fading scar. "Peyton. Haley wasn't mad though, it was almost as though she had convinced herself that she deserved it" he responded.

Whitey walked over to Haley and lightly tapped her on the shoulder in an attempt to wake her up. She protested, subconsciously snuggling further into the crook of Nathan's neck. She opened her eyes when Nathan whispered her name into her ear.

"Huh?" she asked groggily, blinking her eyes.

"Haley, where's your car? I am going to take you home" Whitey asked her as she looked in his direction. Her eyes had been transfixed on Nathan's jaw line, the only part of him she could see when she looked up due to her being in his arms.

"Oh… I walked this morning. I didn't have enough money for gas" she whispered, ashamedly but both Nathan and Whitey heard her confession.

"Walking? Haley why would you walk when you are…" Whitey stopped mid-sentence, remembering that they were both in Nathan's presence.

"Thank-you, Nathan. You can put me down now" she told him and he did as she requested. She could tell that he was uncomfortable and it hurt that her husband couldn't even bear to be in contact with her. '_He probably is wishing he could be touching Rachel' _she thought bitterly as she walked towards Whitey.

"Thanks for everything Whitey. I have to get to the hospital, though" she spoke softly, not knowing that Nathan was able to hear her.

"How are you getting there?" Whitey asked, concerned. She was almost five months pregnant, according to what she had divulged to him in his office, she shouldn't be walking from her apartment on the other side of town to school.

"I'll just walk, Whitey. It's not that far" she smiled at him before giving him a hug and stepping back, standing awkwardly between Nathan and Whitey. She didn't know whether of not she should hug Nathan or shake his hand or something. How pathetic was it that she didn't know whether or not she could hug her own husband. What was even more pathetic was that she had considered shaking his hand in order to show her thanks. Before she made the situation worse or the tension became heavier, if that was even possible, she turned and began walking away in the direction of the hospital, the sound of Whitey calling her back echoing in her ears. However, the fact that Nathan was leaving tomorrow was in the forefront of her mind; she had heard him telling Whitey in his office earlier as she laid upon the couch. This might be the last she saw of him for a very long time so she turned around and walked straight towards Nathan, wrapping her arms around his waist, much to his surprise. He wrapped his arms around her petite frame and listened closely as she stood on her toes to whisper in his ear.

"Good luck at High Flyers. You deserve it, you deserve to have everything you want" she smiled at him, before kissing his cheek and walking away. He stood still watching her walk away. She knew that he was going to Florida for the summer. How had she known? He wanted to be the one to tell her. He recalled her words as Whitey walked past him into the school, slapping him on the shoulder as he walked past. _You deserve it, you deserve to have everything you want. _He knew that tomorrow he would be in Florida and he had wanted to go ever since he could remember but all he could think at that moment was that he wanted her.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

"Peyton! Peyton! I know you're home so come and answer the damn door!" Nathan yelled in an attempt to project his voice up into Peyton's bedroom on the second storey. He continued yelling until a few minutes later when Peyton came down and he walked straight through the door without so much as a greeting.

"Well hello to you too, Sunshine!" she told him sarcastically.

"Since when do you lock your front door? You never have and… never mind. That is not why I am here. What did you do to Haley?!" he screamed, his voice getting louder and louder as he continued to speak.

"Why do you even care, Nathan. **She **left _**you! **_I just said what everyone was thinking. She doesn't belong here anymore, Nathan. She proved that when she left, leaving everyone behind"

"What did you do, Peyton?" he growled out through gritted teeth. He was quickly losing his patience; he wanted to know what happened to his wife, and he wanted to know right now!

"I just slapped her!" she responded with her hands on her hips, before waving her hand and dismissing the incident as nothing. He began to pace, in and out through the open door, before standing outside and she turned to face him. She had only wanted to tell Haley what she thought of her and her actions, what was wrong with that?

"Well then why does she have a huge scar on her forehead and why did she have to get stitches? Huh?" he roared but began to calm down when he saw a flash of remorse and guilt in Peyton's eyes. Obviously she hadn't known the extent of the damage she had caused just by hitting Haley.

"I don't know; she must have hit her head on the open locker or something. I said what I said, slapped her and then left. I'm sorry" she said softly, eyes downcast.

"No matter what has happened between me and Haley, she is still my wife. I know you are mad about her leaving, but you can't do that to her, Peyton"

"I'm sorry, okay? I really am. But you are my friend, Nathan, I do not want to see you hurting" she pleaded as she rested her body against the door frame, watching him with careful eyes as he leaned against the railings of the porch. She was Nathan's friend and what Haley had done was wrong; she had abandoned her husband for another man. Even though she had insisted that it was for the music, Peyton was reluctant to believe Lucas when he had told her.

"Then don't hurt Haley" was all he said before turning and walking down the path.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

"Haley James-Scott?" the doctor called and Haley stood from her chair in the waiting room.

"Just in here please" said the male doctor who Haley had spoken with on the phone a few weeks ago. Dr. Shaun Stevens was an older man with slightly graying hair and a short frame but behind his glasses were kind, caring brown eyes. Haley liked him and he had been nothing but helpful since the day she came in to see him in order to get her prescription for pre-natal vitamins. He didn't treat her like she was stupid when she asked questions about her pregnancy and he didn't judge her because she was young. He just cared that she was looked after; her and her baby.

"So Haley, how have you been since I last spoke with you" he asked, as he began to take her blood pressure.

"Okay, tired and stressed but other than that I feel pretty good. I haven't really had any morning sickness. I got a little of that a few months ago, but I just thought it was from stress" she explained, referring to when she had been on tour.

"Well, everything seems to be going well, so if you could lie back, we can have a look at your baby" he said and she did as she was asked, lifting her shirt to display her slightly rounded stomach. She flinched slightly at the unexpected coldness of the gel but when she heard a faint heartbeat fill the room, her eyes began to brim with tears. That was her baby; she was going to be a mom. That fact filled her with pride and fear.

"And there is your baby" Dr. Stevens told her, pointing out the fetus on the ultrasound monitor. "I can see if it's a boy or girl, if you would like"

"You can tell already?" she asked, ecstatic that she may find out the gender of her baby.

"Well, you are at about nineteen weeks and the gender of a fetus can normally be determined around twenty weeks, so yes, there is a very good chance I will be able to tell you" he responded and smiled when she nodded her head emphatically, signaling that she would like to know.

"Okay, well if you look here, you can see your baby's leg and if he or she turns slightly we will be able to tell. Okay, just a fraction more and we will know. Congratulations! It's a little girl" he said, pointing out the genital area on the screen. He froze the image and pressed print, handing one copy to Haley and putting the other into his patient folder.

Haley was mesmerized by the sight of the sonogram photo she held in her hands. She rubbed her stomach. "Hi baby girl. I am your mommy and I love you very much!"

That was her little girl; she was going to be a mom. She was going to have a daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **A Rather Large Bump in the Road

**Author: **othnaleyfan101

**Summary: **After realizing all that she wants is found back where she came from, Haley faces the task of confronting her fears in Tree Hill. After leaving the tour, her fears are exactly what she returns to. But who will be there to face them with her, especially when she discovers some shocking news?

**Story Disclaimer: **I AM IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH ONE TREE HILL OR ANYTHING INVOLVED WITH/RELATING TO THE SHOW. I OWN NOTHING. THE ONLY THING THAT IS MINE IS THE STORY.

**Story Author's Note: **This is just a short-ish fic I put together a while ago. Having already written the first two chapters, I decided to finish it and post it. It will be maybe three or so chapters. I'm not sure at the moment. For those of you who read my other stories, I have not abandoned "The Best Intentions". I have hit a temporary roadblock, not writers block because I have fantastic ideas for this story and I am just having trouble finding the time to write them in the best possible way. I am really trying to get it out as soon as possible. I have about half of the next chapter written and I will work on it as soon as possible. However, I am thinking on rewriting the whole story, so I can make it better and your opinions would be appreciated.

**Timeline: **Takes place after/at-the-end-of season 2 when Haley turns up on the Scott House doorstep. She has come back from the tour after only eight weeks, meaning that she has come back in time for finals and the end of junior year. She was supposed to be on tour for twelve weeks (three months) and therefore has come back after two months. Junior year will be ending in about one month. There will be touches of Brucas, and Peyton will be in it too; unsure as to whether or not Peyton's storyline, aka Ellie being her mom, will be mentioned or included in this fic.

NALEY STORY AND FOCUSES ON HALEY, MAINLY.

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**Chapter 5: Suddenly The Clouds Have Cleared **

**CRUCIAL AUTHORS NOTE – VITAL TO THE CHAPTER: **_Haley left the tour early; therefore Dan did not visit her with annulment papers. _

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_Three Months Later_

Nathan Scott drove to the net, jumping up and reveling in the satisfaction he felt when he heard the swish of the net, the vibration of the backboard, his feet landing on the ground again and the cheers from his teammates. He lived for this; the feeling he got when he played basketball. It made him feel complete; like he actually had a purpose. There were only two things in his life that made him feel that way; basketball and Haley, and he had not spoken to her for almost three months. No one had spoken to her; or seen her. Not Lucas, not Peyton, no one; not even Brooke, who had attempted contacting her via cell phone. He was worried about her; he was extremely worried. He had been in Florida for almost three months, working on his basketball skills at High Flyers. It had been a dream come true and he had worked his ass off all summer in order to be the best. He had kept in contact with Whitey over the summer, who told him that he had not seen Haley though Nathan didn't really believe that. Before the summer, Haley had spent a lot of time with Whitey so it was unlikely that he had not seen her. She had closed herself off from the world, he included, and he knew that it was partially his own fault. He hadn't explained to her about Rachel.

The day she had seen them in the school together, he had been trying to brush off her not so subtle attempts at flirting with him. She had obviously seen Haley coming and purposely moved closer to him in order to make it seem as though they were in a compromising situation. Since that day, Nathan had realized that Rachel was a conniving bitch who let nothing stand between her and what she wanted; and it seemed as though she wanted him. He had heard Haley's timid voice just as he was going to push her away and he knew how she would perceive it. He had seen the look of hurt on her face and his heart told him to just hug her and tell her that he loved her. But his pride overruled and he had walked away from her without as much as another word.

He would leave to go back to Tree Hill that afternoon. The coaches at High Flyers had called for a last minute game in order to showcase the skills the players had learnt and to say goodbye to other players. He was ready to go home; to his friends, to his own team, to his brother, to his mom but most importantly to his wife. He had had enough of this crap between them. He was ready; he was ready for them to be together again. Now all he had to do was convince Haley.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Haley got herself a cold glass of water and sat down at the small couch she had purchased last month. She had found it in a small charity shop on the outskirts of town and had purchased it for the fact that it was cheap. These days, cheap was all she could afford. She spent most of her savings on stuff for her daughter; a crib, changing table, stroller, clothes. She was determined to give her daughter the best; even if it meant she had to go without. It had been almost three months since she had seen anyone except Whitey. Her days consisted of working nine hours, 9am till 6pm, at the small café and then coming home to an empty apartment and trying to relax after such a long day. She was almost eight months pregnant, even if she didn't look it, and being on her feet all day took a lot out of her. She worked long hours in order to pay for the apartment, furniture and other needs for her daughter, bills and if there was money left over she would by some extra food for herself.

She put her feet up on the small coffee table, from the same shop she had bought the couch from and Whitey had helped her bring to the apartment, and flicked on the small television set. She only had a few minutes peace before the door bell rang and she began to panic. She was wearing a pair of black yoga pants and a gray tank top that made her swollen belly clearly noticeable. She rushed to the bedroom while calling out that she would be just a minute, and threw on a baggy sweater. She would probably sweat to death in the sweater but it was better than whoever was at the door finding out about her pregnancy. She walked back out towards the door, throwing the pile of folded onesies on the couch and putting them underneath a blanket. She finally made it to the door and quickly opened it. She wished she hadn't gone to all the trouble of hiding everything because she knew she wouldn't even let her visitor in the small apartment.

"Well, hello Haley" he said and she was so tempted to shut the door in his smirking face. But she didn't and she had no idea why.

"Mr. Scott", she said while exhaling loudly, "What are you doing here?"

"Just cleaning up some unfinished business" he replied cryptically while pushing on the door she stood against and barged into her apartment. The small residence felt tiny at the best of times but with her father-in-law's presence, it seemed even smaller. He was a manipulating, controlling man and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted; Haley knew that. But the fact that he was manipulating and controlling wasn't what had her on edge at the present moment. It was the fact that he unfinished business and for a strange reason, she knew that the unfinished business he was referring to had something to do with her. Call it intuition or gut instinct if you will but she was positive that whatever it was, she wasn't going to like it.

"I want you to annul your marriage to Nathan."

He was blunt and to the point; no kidding or messing around. The way he had said those few words, those few words that had been strung together to form a sentence, was breaking her heart. The words he had said was the main reason, but the way he had said it caused chills to run down her spine. She winced when her daughter turned, nudging her kidneys in a painful way; she was obviously already aware of her grandfather's cruel nature. He had said it as if he were talking about the weather; in a casual and off-handed way that screamed 'I don't give a damn about you'. It was true; he really didn't give a damn about her. All he cared about was Nathan's basketball career. She stood motionless as he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a yellow envelope which she guessed contained the papers that would make her marriage to Nathan appear as though it had never happened. He extended his arm, envelope in hand, urging her to take it. She did not move, merely stared at the man whose eyes showed no remorse, or any emotion, for what he was asking her to do.

"What?" she choked out, shaking her head when he waved the papers in her face.

"Come on, Haley. Your marriage is over; I know it, you know it and Nathan knows it. Why else would he have asked me to come? He's moved on and is ready to forget and erase this mistake. You should be too. It's over Haley" he spoke as silent tears streamed down her face. She thought she was ready for this. She knew that it would happen one day she just didn't expect it so soon. She may have removed her wedding ring from her finger, she still wore it on a chain around her neck, but it didn't mean that she didn't love Nathan or want to work their marriage out; she was just trying to focus on her child. Annulment papers would mean that her marriage to Nathan would never have happened and he would go on to be a pro-basketball player, like he was always destined to be, marry some rich model and have kids. All while she stayed in Tree Hill, with their daughter, struggling to make a living and no one would ever know that she had once been his wife. It was becoming too much to comprehend and her tired, small body felt weightless as she sat on the couch with her head in her hands. _He's moved on and is ready to forget and erase this mistake. You should be too. It's over Haley. _He wanted this; he had asked his father to come. He didn't want to be married to her anymore. He wanted to be free. And deep down she knew that she would sign them; only for the fact that he had requested it. She owed his something and if this was what he wanted, she would give it to him. He deserves to have everything he wants; and he no longer wanted her to be his wife.

"Just leave them here. I'll sign them and give them to him. Please just go!" she spoke brokenly. He walked towards her and threw the papers at her feet. She watched as the envelope fluttered to the floor, just like a graceful butterfly. Butterflies. She had always liked them; their beautiful wings swirled with beautiful colors and patterns, and they way they flew so gracefully. She continued to ramble on about butterflies in her head; anything to get her mind off of the papers she was staring at. She began humming, swaying from side to side softly. She stopped suddenly she realized that she had not heard the door close behind Dan. Haley turned around and saw that he was still standing behind the couch, looking at something in the kitchen. His eyes were transfixed, slightly widened, and it appeared as though he was in a trance. She watched as his eyes blazed in anger and he stalked into the room he had been staring into. Haley followed him, hoping to get him out of her apartment. She had to stop quickly when he suddenly stopped and turned to face her. He glanced at her, looking her up and down, and she folded her arms across her chest.

"Mr. Scott, I would appreciate it if you would leave. You have done what you came here to do and I have said that I will give them to Nathan once I have signed them" she said as she walked towards the door and opened it. He finally listened to her and began to walk away. She let out a long breath and began to close the door. However she called after him.

"Mr. Scott, how did you find me?" she questioned. She had been so careful to make sure that no one knew where she was. Whitey was the only one to know where she lived and she intended to keep it that way. It had been hard not to run to Lucas, when she just wanted to talk to her best friend, after a long day at the café, when customers came in to make her job difficult, or when her boss treated her unfairly; her new boss was nothing like Karen had been. So she wanted to know how Dan had found her.

"I'm the Mayor of this town, _Miss James_. I know everything" he gave her a menacing smirk that made her wonder what else he knew about her that she wouldn't want him to.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Haley walked back towards where the annulment papers were lying on the floor and with a fair bit of difficulty, bent down and picked them up. She then pulled her sweater over her head and chucked it over the couch. She sat down on the couch and stared at the envelope for a few minutes before opening it and rereading the title at the top of the papers; 'Petition for Annulment'. With a glance towards the portrait on the wall across from her, she pulled out a piece of paper from underneath the table and began to write.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Dan Scott sat at his desk in his office at Dan Scott Motors. He watched the portrait behind his desk, with a glass of scotch in his hand. The back of his chair faced the doorway, meaning no one could see him, except for his hand holding the glass which hung over the armrest of the large leather chair. He had called _her_ and was patiently waiting for her to show up so that he could talk about her progress. It wasn't the nicest thing to do, even he knew that, but it had to be done. He continued to stare at the portrait even as the door opened and then closed behind the person who had entered.

"Mr. Scott" she greeted dutifully.

"Have you made any progress?" he asked coolly, taking a sip of his scotch and continuing to keep his back to her.

"No Mr. Scott. He refuses to acknowledge me. I have tried to make compromising situations when she is around but he won't even come near me. I'm sorry, but I tried" she explained.

"Well then. If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain."

"I don't understand" she told him.

"I want you to go to her and tell her that you slept with him" he explained.

"But, I didn't" she responded, clueless to what he was asking her to do.

"I know that, but she doesn't" he said, finally turning his chair around to face her with an evil smile on his face "I just dropped the papers off to her this morning and this will be the final nail in her coffin. Just don't screw this up, Rachel."

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Whitey Durham drove in his car towards the 'bad side' of Tree Hill. There was no line, or dividing region, that separated the 'good' side from the 'bad' side. It was just common knowledge that there were two parts to Tree Hill. He was on his way to see Haley at work. Every day this summer, Whitey had made the journey to the small eatery to have lunch with Haley. He would talk to her about her pregnancy and how she was preparing for the arrival of her child. He was aware that she knew the gender of her baby but she wouldn't tell anyone; not even him. He knew how much she was struggling; emotionally, physically and financially. He knew that she had been spending all of her money on furniture and other needs for the baby – a crib, a changing table, diapers, clothes and so many more necessities. So, as had become tradition between him and Haley, he would come down every day and have lunch with her, his shout, on her lunch break.

He stopped the car on the edge of the road outside the café, getting out and making sure to lock the doors. He walked up the small set of stairs and pushed open the rotting wooden door, the smell of grease, fries and cooking hamburgers hitting his nose full force. He waved to Haley, who was currently taking an order for the young couple by the window, and took a seat at the counter on a torn swivel chair. He waited patiently for her to take her lunch break, and a few minutes later when she came over, food in hand, he stood to greet her with a friendly hug. They then sat down and ate together as they had been doing for the last three months. However, their lunch was interrupted when Rachel slid into the chair beside Haley. Haley looked at her before rolling her eyes and focusing her attention back onto the conversation she was having with Whitey.

"Well that was rude" Rachel commented, causing Haley to turn in her seat in order to face the vivacious and deceitful red-head.

"Did you require something Rachel, or are you just here to annoy me?" Haley snarled.

"Oh, no, I didn't just come here so you could bask in my greatness," she began, causing Haley to roll her eyes at Rachel's enormous ego "I came here to ask you for advice!"

"Advice? From me?" Haley managed to breathe out between soft chuckles.

"Well, not advice. A question of sorts, actually. Black or red?" the red-head inquired.

"Huh?" Haley asked confused, her eyebrows knitting together in a display of her bewilderment.

"Well, Nathan has asked me out on our first official date tonight even though we have had a few 'nights' together, if you know what I mean" she said, raising her eyebrows suggestively with a smirk on her face, "I just wanted to ask you which he prefers; black or red. I mean you should know, you are married to the guy, even if you won't be for much longer"

Haley remained silent, trying to comprehend what Rachel was saying. Nathan had been sleeping with Rachel and they were going out on a 'date' tonight; the thought of her husband and the slutty cheerleader having sex made Haley want to be sick. But if they were going out tonight, as much as the thought tore her heart in two, it meant that Nathan was home from Florida. It meant that Nathan was in Tree Hill and surely Dan would approach Nathan soon with the same request he had approached her with yesterday. She knew that in a matter of days, Nathan would no longer be her husband because he would sign the papers without a second thought. He had been sleeping with Rachel, after all. Haley stood up from her stall with blurred vision, the tears that were welling in her eyes were restricting her vision. She began to walk away towards the back, into the kitchen, as Whitey watched her with a concerned gaze. Rachel just smirked at her. Haley turned around to face Rachel and gripped the counter as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Something wasn't right.

"I never wanted to hurt him" she cried out, as the room began to spin before it all went black. Whitey could only watch as her knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the floor.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Nathan collected his bag from the bag carousel at the New Brunswick County Airport and made his way outside. He had asked Lucas to pick him up as he didn't want his dad to pick him up; that would just result in Dan grilling him about everything he had done wrong at High Flyers, regardless of whether or not he had been there to see how well Nathan had done. As Lucas pulled up to the curb and got out to give his brother a manly hug, Nathan couldn't help but be thankful that he was home.

As he got into the car, he saw that Lucas was already in the car and talking on his cell. It looked like an intense phone call judging by the expressions on Lucas' face.

"Is she okay?"

It was hard for Nathan to determine who Lucas was talking to or who he was talking about considering he was only hearing small snippets of the conversation and it seemed as though the person on the other end was saying a lot judging by the large pauses between Lucas' words.

"I'll be right there!"

Lucas slammed the cell phone shut before throwing it onto the dashboard and then hastily putting his seatbelt on. Nathan could only do the same as he watched Lucas become more and more emotional. He may have not been showing that he was upset, but Lucas was his brother and therefore Nathan could tell that he was upset by the pained expression on his face and the way his knuckles were gripping the steering wheel as he drove down the streets of Tree Hill.

"Luke, man, what's going on?" Nathan finally asked after minutes of silence, realizing that Lucas was not going to talk. He was too focused on getting somewhere; whatever that destination was, Nathan was unaware of where or what it was.

As if snapping out of a trance, Lucas blinked and turned his head to look at Nathan. Worry and fear were able to be seen in his pale blue eyes.

"It's Haley"

And in those two words, in those two simple words, the walls around Nathan Scott's heart came crashing down.

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Whitey sat in the waiting room of Tree Hill Hospital. He was worried. He heart had clenched the moment he saw Haley collapse at the café. She had become like a daughter to him and he cared for her deeply and now, she was somewhere inside this hospital and he didn't know whether or not she was alright. He had called the ambulance as soon as she had collapsed, sitting beside her while they waited, watching as Rachel, the girl whose awful, hurtful words had probably being the final thing that pushed her over the edge, had just walked out of the café. He rode with her to the hospital in the back of the ambulance and once he had arrived, he had called Lucas. Whitey knew how Haley felt about Lucas, and in turn Nathan, knowing anything about her, but this was important so he felt as though he had no choice. He had called and told Lucas to meet him at the hospital. Because he was not family, the hospital was not legally allowed to release information to him but they may release information to Lucas, considering he was Haley's brother-in-law. Whitey continued to sit in the cold, hard, blue plastic chairs in the waiting room, his knee bouncing as he played with the royal blue Ravens Basketball cap that was in his hands. He got out of the chair as he saw Lucas burst through the swinging doors that lead from the main reception area to the waiting room.

"Coach?" Lucas asked and Whitey could see he was terrified. He knew that Haley had not spoken to Lucas in almost three and a half months, so for the first thing he hears about her is that she is in the hospital must be a worrying thing. But Whitey was startled when the swinging doors opened again and Nathan stepped through them.

"What are you doing here?" Whitey asked, clearly surprised to see the younger Scott brother standing before him.

"I just got back from High Flyers. Lucas was picking me up from the airport when he got, what I am presuming to be, your call. What's going on?"

"It's Haley. She's collapsed" Whitey explained and both boys softly gasped.

"What? Why?" Lucas asked. Nathan was silent.

"Well, they won't tell me anything because I am not family; that's why I called you. But Rachel came by the café today to see Haley and…" he trailed off.

"And…?" Lucas prompted.

"Well, Rachel was kind enough to inform Haley of your extra-curricular activities, Nathan. She has been dealing with so much lately and after having a few unpleasant visits from people in the last few days, I think it was the final thing that pushed her over the stress-edge and she collapsed." Whitey elaborated.

"What 'extra-curricular' activities?" Nathan finally spoke.

"Well…um…she…uh…she told Haley that you and Rachel have been uh… 'seeing' each other. If you know what I mean" Whitey told them, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"What…I…" Nathan began but was interrupted by a doctor calling for family of Haley James.

"Yes, I'm her brother-in-law. Is she okay?" Lucas asked, as he had raced ahead of Whitey and Nathan, who was still standing in the same position.

"Ms. James was severely dehydrated and her collapse was mostly due to stress. We have hooked her up to an IV, which is pumping her body full of the vitamins and water she desperately needs, and with a little rest, she should be fine. She's asleep right now but it might be a good idea if someone went home and got her some clothes or something. She'll be staying here for a few days." he informed them before shaking Lucas' hand in response to his thanks and then began to leave but turned around abruptly.

"Is there a Whitey here?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, I am. Is there something wrong?" Whitey responded then followed the doctor over to a secluded part of the waiting room when the doctor indicated to do so.

"Ms. James was awake when we put her IV in and therefore, we had a chance to speak with her. She said she knew that you would have called Lucas but she requested that no one be told of her child's condition except for you. Both Haley and the baby are fine. But her daughter did go into fetal distress for a few minutes so we have hooked her up to a fetal monitor so that she can be monitored. You will be able to go see her in a few minutes, maybe a half hour. I have already called her OB/GYN, Dr. Stevens, and he will be checking up on Haley soon" he told Whitey quietly so that no one else would hear them. He also shook Whitey's hand before leaving to go see to other patients. Whitey walked back over to Lucas and Nathan.

"Haley is going to kill me for this but…" Whitey began to say after Lucas had informed them of Haley's condition, who was not aware that the doctor had pulled Whitey aside as he had been focused on Nathan "Nathan, you should go to Haley's apartment and get the stuff"

"What? Why me?"

"Because, as much as I hate to go against Haley's wishes, deep down she knows as well as I do that it is time. And besides, she told me that if anything were to happen to her, I had to do what was in the best interests of…" he let his sentence hang in the air. He had almost told Nathan about that beautiful little baby that Haley was carrying.

"I don't understand" Nathan responded, clearly confused about what Whitey was talking about. _Time? It's time for what?_

Whitey merely scribbled down Haley's address and handed it to Nathan along with the spare key to her apartment that Haley had given to him at the beginning of the summer.

"You'll know soon enough, my boy. Now go, we will wait here"

"Whitey, what's going on?"

"Lucas, I think it's time we had a little chat because when your brother comes back, he is going to need you. And so is Haley"

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Nathan walked up to Haley's apartment and opened the door. He cringed slightly. The place was pretty awful but he could see that Haley had tried to do something with it to make it seem more homey and cozy. As he walked in and let the front door close behind him, he walked straight towards the bedroom door without letting his eyes stray to the kitchen or living room area. He pushed open the door and was almost knocked backwards when he saw the beautiful white, wooden crib that rested underneath the window. He knew what was going on but it was as if his brain wouldn't let himself believe it. He stumbled back into the lounge room where he saw the onesies folded into a neat pile on the edge of couch, a small, pink, fluffy teddy bear sitting beside the pile and a pale pink blanket draped over the back of the couch. He couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed it when he first walked in. Haley had a baby? Or was going to have a baby? But that meant that he, too, was going to have a baby? He was going to be a dad? _Oh, god. He really needed to sit down. _

He flopped onto the couch and picked up one of the folded onesies of the top of the pile, folding it open and letting a ghost of a smile cross his face as he saw how tiny the pink sleeper-suit was. But as he placed it on his lap he noticed a yellow envelope on the coffee table, along with a folded piece of paper with his name on it. Curiously he picked it up, as well as the envelope, and decided to open the envelope first. He pulled the papers out and gasped when he saw what they were; annulment papers. He turned the page, hoping that he wouldn't see Haley's signature. But there it was, clear as day, her cursive handwriting that had the ability to end their marriage. As he looked closer, he realized that Haley's signature was on the 'defendant' line, which meant that he was the 'plaintiff' but he never requested these which meant…

"Dan" Nathan growled, coming to the conclusion that his father must have been the one to bring these to Haley and said something that would make her sign them. That was what Whitey must have meant when he was talking about some 'unpleasant visits' his wife had received in the last few days.

Throwing the papers down on the table, he picked up Haley's letter and began to read.

_Dear Nathan, _

_By the time you read this, I will most probably no longer be your wife. You will either be relieved or saddened by this fact and I am hoping it is the latter, even though I know it is not. I'm sorry I couldn't be the person you wanted me to be. I'm sorry for the mistakes I have made but I love you and all I want is for you to be happy. Whether it is with Rachel, or someone else, promise yourself that you will love someone as much as I love you because everyone deserves to have that feeling; the feeling that only being in-love can give you. You deserve that and so much more. You deserve the world and I hope with all my heart that you achieve what you want. I know that once these papers are signed, it will be as though our marriage never existed. So, as my final gift to you, I sign these papers so that you can be free; free to love and to live your life again. Because all I want is for you to be happy, always and forever; even if love is not enough. _

_Haley _

Nathan sighed as he read the letter. What had his father said for Haley to believe these things? How could she believe that he wanted to have their marriage erased? He folded the letter, placing it in his pocket and grabbed the annulment papers, tearing them in half, watching as the fluttered to the ground. He grabbed the pink teddy that sat next to him before racing out the door towards his car. He was going to go see his wife.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

"So…let me get this right. Haley distanced herself from everyone because she wanted to focus on her child? This is crazy. I can't believe she didn't tell me she was pregnant! Why didn't she tell me?" Lucas asked, turning in his chair to face Whitey beside him.

"You and Nathan were acting like brothers again, Lucas. She realized that she couldn't come between you and your brother, and being near Nathan hurt her too much. She knew that she had to raise her baby alone, so being near him, seeing him was a reminder of what she would never have again" Whitey explained.

"I'm going to be an uncle!" Lucas said after a few minutes of silence, a small smile on his face turned into a wide grin before he shouted out again, "I'm going to be an uncle!"

His celebrations were cut short when he heard a voice behind him.

"I'm going to be a dad"

He turned to see Nathan standing there, his eyes transfixed on the small pink bear he was holding. He looked so lost and fragile, two words Lucas would never have thought he would use to describe Nathan. He could only watch as Nathan walked towards the chairs on the opposite side of the room and took a seat, still staring at the bear. The three men who played such a large part in Haley's life sat in silence for hours, waiting for her to wake. Nathan spent the time staring at the bear, his mind heavy with thoughts, while Lucas stared at the wall. Whitey played with his cap. They were able to see down the hallway that lead to the patient rooms so when they heard a doctor rush towards room 323, their thoughts were interrupted by a wave of panic racing throughout all of their bodies, especially Nathan's; 323 was Haley's room.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Nathan raced down the hallway, after telling Lucas and Whitey to wait where they were, towards his wife's room but was stopped from entering by a nurse who was guarding the door.

"You can't go in there!" she told him, trying to restrain the determined young man who was attempting to get past her.

"But I'm her husband" he cried out, a pleading look on his face as he tried to get past her again. She simply told him to wait outside. He slumped on the ground outside the door, waiting for a doctor to tell him something. After a few minutes an older doctor came out of Haley's room, examining a printout from one of the monitors.

"Who are you?" Nathan asked, standing up.

"I'm Doctor Stevens. I'm Haley's OB/GYN and have been looking after her for the duration of her pregnancy. It seems as though Haley's baby is going into fetal distress again" he replied without looking up from the paper.

"She's not just Haley's baby. She ours" he said, smiling. The doctor looked up to face him. "So you're Nathan?" he asked and smiled as Nathan nodded, taking the younger man's outstretched hand.

"It appears as though your daughter's heart beat is beginning to slow every few minutes. Now Haley woke up about an hour ago and was complaining of pain in her lower abdomen, a clear sign of contractions. We were waiting for her water to break which it did a few minutes ago and she is 5cm dilated, but current developments mean that we had to induce her. It's too risky to not deliver the baby immediately"

"Wait, you mean like she's having the baby right now?" he asked, starting to panic.

"Her contractions are a few minutes apart but we need to deliver now so we are gave her Pitocin"

"Pito-what?" Nathan asked confused. It was a lot for him to comprehend. Only hours ago he had found out that his wife was pregnant and he was going to be a dad; he just didn't expect to become a dad within a few hours.

"Pitocin is a synthetic hormone that is given through the IV in order to augment and speed up the time between a woman's contractions"

"Okay, can I see her now?" he asked hesitantly. He had been waiting hours and all he wanted to do was go see his wife and hold her in his arms. He quickly walked through the door once the OB/GYN had nodded the okay. He tentatively walked up to the bed. Haley was still unaware of his presence in the room as she had her back to him, her hand gripping the raised steel bars of the bed. He walked around to the side she was facing and seeing her eyes clenched in pain, he pried her fingers off the bar and gripped her hand. Her eyes flew open at his actions.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, breathing heavily and trying to remove her hand from his but he kept a firm grip.

"I'm here for you, Haley. Both of you" he said to her, smiling. Putting the pink bear on the beside table, he placed his now free hand on her stomach which was underneath the sheets of the bed.

"How did you find out?" she cried.

"Why didn't you tell me Haley?"

"I was scared. I had already ruined your life enough and I could see you were happy again with Rachel so I just distanced myself from you, Luke and everyone. It was too hard seeing you everyday, knowing that I was carrying your baby but we would never be a family" she sobbed and he took he hand away from her abdomen so that he could lower the bars on the bed. He climbed onto the bed with her and wrapped her in his arms as she sobbed into his chest.

"Haley, there is nothing going on between Rachel and I because you are the only one that can make me happy. And I don't know what my father said to make you believe I wanted our marriage annulled, but you were wrong; love is enough."

She raised her head from his chest and he wiped the tears with his thumb, letting his hand linger on her chin, "You read my letter"

"Yeah, I did and I tore the annulment papers up because you are the person I want you to be; you are my wife, and that is enough. You said I deserve the world, well then, I guess I deserve you because you are my world Haley. Always and Forever"

She cried out, wrapping her arms around his neck as she peppered his face with soft, tender kisses. Just as she was about to kiss his soft lips, she cried out in pain, her hand fisting the material of his shirt. At that moment, Dr. Stevens walked in and began to check on Haley's progress. After announcing that Haley was fully dilated and ready to deliver he began to get her ready for her trip to the delivery room. Nathan hopped off the bed, grasping her hand and kissing her forehead.

"Let's go get the newest member to our family, Hales. Because that is what we are; a perfect little family"

ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

"Come on Haley, one more push and then your baby will be here" Dr. Stevens encouraged from his position in between Haley's legs.

"I can't do it. Nathan, I can't do it" she cried, throwing her head back on the pillow, gripping his hand tighter.

"Yes, you can Hales. You can do anything and I'm right here, baby"

Haley raised her head up and with all the strength she possessed, she pushed and was greeted with the beautiful sound of a baby's cries. She collapsed onto the bed with exhaustion, faintly aware of the feeling of Nathan's lips on her forehead. She opened her eyes when a nurse spoke up.

"It's a girl!"

Haley could only smile. And as their beautiful baby girl was placed on her chest, Nathan softly stroking his daughter's head, Haley felt complete.

"She's perfect" he mumbled, still stroking his daughter's honey blonde hair as he looked into her cerulean eyes that were just like his own. She was the perfect mixture of them both; Haley's hair and cute button nose with Nathan's soulful, azure eyes.

"Welcome to the world, Brianna Lucia Scott"

She and Nathan had many things to discuss and work out but they had time. As long as they were together, they could face anything. As their lips met in a soft kiss above little Brianna's head, still perched on her mother's chest, she knew that everything would be okay. After all, Nathan was right; they were a perfect little family and this wasn't such a large bump in the road. It was a blessing.

The End.

**A/N: This is the longest chapter I have ever written and I hope you all enjoy it. That is the end of this story, as it was only meant to be a short fic. I personally love little Brianna's name. It was chosen to honor Whitey and Lucas; Brianna for Whitey, as his name is really Brian and Lucia for Lucas. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed on previous chapters and everyone who reviews this chapter. **


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